حَميتُ ذِمارَ ثَعلَبَةَ بنَ سَعدٍ

حَميتُ ذِمارَ ثَعلَبَةَ بنَ سَعدٍ

بِجَنبِ الحُتِّ إِذ دُعِيَت نَزالِ

بِجَنبِ الحُتِّ إِذ دُعِيَت نَزالِ

I defended the honor of Thaʿlabah son of Saʿd,

I attacked Tha'labah, son of Sa'd,

beside al-Ḥutt, when the cry went up: “To battle!”

By the valley's edge when battle was called.

وَأَدرَكَني اِبنُ آبي اللَحمِ يَجري

وَأَدرَكَني اِبنُ آبي اللَحمِ يَجري

وَأُجرى الخَيلَ حاجِزَةَ التَوالي

وَأُجرى الخَيلَ حاجِزَةَ التَوالي

The son of Ābī al-Laḥm overtook me, running,

And the son of Abi Lahm caught up with me,

while I drove the horses on, barring those behind.

As I drove the horses across the plain.

طَعَنتُ مَجامِعَ الأَحشاءِ مِنهُ

طَعَنتُ مَجامِعَ الأَحشاءِ مِنهُ

بِمَفتوقِ الوَقيعَةِ كَالهِلالِ

بِمَفتوقِ الوَقيعَةِ كَالهِلالِ

I stabbed him where his entrails meet,

I stabbed his vitals with my sharp spear

with a broad-forged spearhead, like a crescent moon.

Like the curve of a crescent moon.

فَإِن يَهلَك فَذَلِكَ كانَ قَدَري

فَإِن يَهلَك فَذَلِكَ كانَ قَدَري

وَإِن يَبرَأ فَإِنّي لا أُبالي

وَإِن يَبرَأ فَإِنّي لا أُبالي

So if he perishes, that was my fate;

If he dies, that was his fate,

and if he recovers, I do not care.

And if he lives, it matters not to me.